


Alone Together, Forever

by PerfectlyGenericItem



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, More tags to be added, Permafusion!Stevonnie AU, Updates Every Thursday, as in Stevonnie doesn't unfuse after Alone Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:59:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectlyGenericItem/pseuds/PerfectlyGenericItem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steven and Connie never unfuse after Alone Together. Instead, they put Kevin in his place that night at the rave. They become one of the Crystal Gems, go to Connie’s school sometimes, learn to sword fight as one, and overall live two lives. But they don’t care how hard it is, because they love each other and want to be alone, together, forever.<br/>(This will be a (very long) fic detailing the life of Steven and Connie – if Stevonnie never defused after Alone Together.)<br/>(the AU was actually thought up by officialrocketjumper.tumblr.com. I have their permission to write this fic.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

“If you’re so lonely, then dance with me!”

Steven and Connie made up their mind, right there and then. As one, without the duelling personalities, Stevonnie turned to Kevin. A snarl flickered over their face.

The words were scalding as they spat them at Kevin. “Ugh! Fine.” Their eyes blazed with unbridled rage. “You wanna dance? Let’s go.”

Kevin looked a little scared as Stevonnie grabbed him by the wrist in a rough grip. They dragged him to the centre of the dance floor. Stevonnie dropped his arm like it was hot and turned to him. “And it’s Stevonnie? I am  _not_  your baby.”

With that, they started to dance. Their limbs flew around, erratic in their movements. Their eyes shut as they kicked and punched, still managing to look as graceful as they did before. They didn’t see or hear him, but they sensed that Kevin backed away.

“Okay, bring it back, girl,” they heard Kevin say, and this stopped their dance. Their eyes met his and they took a menacing step towards him.

“Girl?” they spluttered, furious. “ _Girl?_  I’m not a girl!” They paused. “But I’m not a boy, either.” They weren’t talking to Kevin anymore – this was a discussion between Connie and Steven. “I… what am I?”

Kevin smirked. “You can’t be neither!” he protested. “Come on, baby – sorry,  _Stevonnie_  – let’s calm down and dance some more!”

Stevonnie put their hands up to her head. “I… can I be neither? I’m a girl, I’m a boy, I’m neither, I’m  _both_  –” Then they stopped as Garnet’s voice filled their head, as clear as if she were right behind them.

_“You are not two people. And you are not one person. You... are an experience! Make sure you're a good experience. Now... Go!... Have!... Fun!”_

Stevonnie smiled. “I’m an experience,” they echoed, only enough for Kevin to hear.

Kevin laughed nervously. “You’re a what? You can’t be neither genders or both, and you don't look like a boy at all, so what’s left?”

“I’m an experience!” Stevonnie exclaimed, louder, sharper. They started marching towards Kevin, who backed up. “I’m an experience and I damn well better be a good one!”

Kevin looked around frantically, but everyone around them seemed transfixed on Stevonnie. Stevonnie towered over him, and he was finally forced to face them. They grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground. They formed a fist with their other hand and brought it back. Kevin closed his eyes and waited for the impact. An impact which never came, causing Kevin to open his eyes. He saw the fist right in front of his face, so close he had to cross his eyes to look at it directly. “What the…”

“You’re a jerk,” Stevonnie said simply, and dropped him to the ground. Then, without acknowledging him again, they turned and walked over to the DJ’s bench. Sour Cream stood there, open-mouthed and wide-eyed.

“Could I have some free glowsticks, please?” they asked, extending their hand towards him. Sour Cream gulped and nodded, handing them a handful.

“Thank you,” Stevonnie said with a smile; a genuinely sweet smile with their eyes closed and their teeth showing. They turned to the other rave attendees and bowed. “And thank all of you, too! You were a wonderful audience and you made this night a pleasure!” Stevonnie tensed their legs and leaped, jumping out of the hole in the roof. All eyes watched them leave and stared at the hole in the roof long after they’d gone.

“…and a swirling pit of anxiety,” Stevonnie muttered as they soared up. “What? Oh, well, everyone was staring and stuff and I felt kind of nervous. But I’m… we’re okay now. Do you want to defuse? No. I like this. I… we’re alone, but we’re together, and it’s nice. Good. I like it too.” Stevonnie was talking like two people again.

Then they seemed to notice – they were way too high up. “What? What’s going on?” They were floating above the beach, and descending too slowly to be natural. “Did you know you could do this? No, this has never happened before! Is this a new power? Well it certainly isn’t normal, we’re higher than physics should have let us jump. Right now it seems like there’s hardly any force acting upon us at all! Whoa, this is awesome!”

Stevonnie grinned and stared at the lights of Beach City. The most prominent ones were that of the warehouse, flashing and pulsing, indicative of the fact that the rave had started up again.

“It’s kind of cold,” Stevonnie remarked to themself. “We should get some new clothes tomorrow. But my clothes fit me just fine! Yes, but they don’t fit  _us_. They don’t fit… me. Wait, are you saying that we’re going to stay like this until tomorrow? I’m saying that I want to stay like this forever! This feeling, it’s… amazing! But… what are your parents going to say? My parents? I… I don’t know! They can’t be accepting of this, can they? They don’t know about the gems or fusing or magic and I… I don’t know!”

Air whistled through the air as their descent quickened – and they heard it. “What? No!” They screamed as the beach started approaching faster. “Pearl! Garnet! Amethyst! Someone! Help!” They closed their eyes to stop staring at the ground they were about to hit.

Then there were two arms holding them, hugging them to a chest. Stevonnie felt their descent slow, then stop abruptly. They opened their eyes as the hands let go, and Stevonnie felt their feet hit sand. Stevonnie glanced up at their savior. “Garnet!”

Garnet smirked. “Hello Stevonnie. I wasn’t expecting you to still be fused.”

Stevonnie blushed. “I know, I just – It feels – I know you said to make sure I’m a good experience, and we – I don’t want it to end!”

Garnet chuckled. “I think I know exactly how you feel.”

“You mean like… Sugilite?” Stevonnie asked, wrinkling their nose in thought.

“For now, let’s leave it at yes,” Garnet answered.

“What’s Sugilite?” Stevonnie asked. Garnet opened her mouth to answer, but Stevonnie jumped in before she could. “It’s Garnet and Amethyst’s fusion! They fused because we needed some serious firepower, but she went… hm. She went power mad and fought Pearl and smashed the beach and stuff. She didn’t want to unfuse either, but for a different reason, I guess.”

Garnet smiled. “Correct, Stevonnie. I suppose you aren’t entirely used to being one yet?”

“No, well, kind of? Steven and… and Connie talk to each other sometimes and it comes out through my mouth.” Stevonnie suddenly remembered something, and gasped. “Oh! Garnet! Did you see, I can float now!”

“I saw, Stevonnie. I wasn’t expecting you to learn you could so soon, or even that  _you_  would learn at all.” Garnet rested her chin in her hand. “I was actually rather certain that  _Steven_  would learn, and much later at that.”

“Well, I – he did learn, just not in the way you expected.” Stevonnie looked a little confused.

“Yes, but I foresaw that he’d learn independently, not as part of you. Anyway, you should go have fun with your glowsticks.”

Stevonnie glanced down at their hand. “Oh my gosh! I forgot about these!” They ran down the beach, whooping and cheering with joy, throwing the glowsticks on the ground.

Garnet chuckled. “Still just a little kid.”


	2. The Test

“Steven! Stev – oh!”

Stevonnie opened their eyes and looked around. They were laying on their bed, their long legs hanging over the end. They wore Steven’s pyjamas over the top of their outfit from last night. The pyjamas didn’t fit right. The top didn’t do up, and the pants were shorter than their already short jeans.

Stevonnie looked over to their right, where Pearl stood. There was a pile of Steven’s shirts at her feet. They were folded up but a little crumpled, indicating they’d been dropped. Pearl looked terrified.

“Morning, Pearl,” Stevonnie said, rubbing their eyes and sitting up. “What’s the matter?”

“You… You’re still… fused?” Pearl took a tentative step towards them. “Shouldn’t Connie be getting home soon?”

“Well, I was planning on visiting later today,” Stevonnie replied, getting to their feet. They lifted their arms above their head. “After I get some new clothes.”

“You’re… staying like… like this?” Pearl bent over and picked up the washing. “What will Greg say? And Connie’s parents?”

“What… will they say?” Stevonnie asked themself, putting a hand on their chin in thought. “I’m sure Dad will be okay with it. What about my mom and dad, though? They don’t know anything about magic, or the Gems, or fusion! It’s okay. It’s going to be fine. No, it’s not! Everything will work out. They’ll either be accepting, or they won’t, and if they aren’t, they can... They’ll have to learn to accept this. You want this, don’t you? Of course I do!”

“Er, Stevonnie? Are you… okay?” Pearl asked. She put the washing on Steven’s bedspread and sat next to it.

Stevonnie stopped talking and grinned at Pearl. “Oh! Yeah, of course! We’re just… I’m just not used to being… one person yet.”

Before Pearl could reply, the temple door flashed open. Amethyst walked out, biting into what looked like an incredibly burned grilled cheese. “’Sup, P? Hey Stevonnie.” She didn’t look surprised, but then what she was seeing seemed to register. She gasped and dropped her sandwich. “Wait, Stevonnie?”

“Hey, Amethyst!” Stevonnie waved excitedly.

“Steven and Connie have decided to… remain fused,” Pearl explained. A worried frown creased her brow. She stood again and walked over to Amethyst.

Amethyst smiled. “Aw, man! Garnet’s going to be so happy! She’s not going to be – mmph!”

Pearl had picked up Amethyst’s sandwich and shoved it into her mouth. She put a finger to her lips.

Amethyst swallowed the sandwich whole and smacked herself in the forehead. “Oops.” She turned back to Stevonnie, who was looking back and forth between the pair. “You should show Garnet!”

“Garnet has already seen, Amethyst,” another voice said. The temple door phased open and Garnet walked out. She grinned at Stevonnie. “I see you haven’t unfused overnight.”

Stevonnie nodded. “Yeah, it was kinda strange at first, trying to get to sleep, but we – I managed.”

“And you’re still getting the hang of referring to yourself as one person, I suppose.” Garnet placed a hand on Stevonnie’s shoulder. “It’s okay. It doesn’t take too long to get used to. You haven’t got all eternity like most gems, but you’ll get the hang of it soon.”

“They had it when they first woke up,” Pearl added thoughtfully. She turned to Garnet. “You’re really okay with this?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Garnet asked. “Aren’t you?”

“It’s their choice, of course. I was just… what will Connie’s parents say?”

Garnet put her hand up to her visor. “They’ll be confused, but they’ll eventually understand. They’ll probably understand more if Stevonnie gets some new clothes, though.”

Stevonnie blushed. “Yeah, I’m not sure m... I'm not sure Connie’s parents would like their daughter, even a being who is made up of their daughter and her best friend, to be dressed like this.”

“Exactly,” Garnet said, smirking a little.

“Are you going on a shopping trip?” Amethyst asked. “Can I come? The Aqua Town Mall has great tacos. Ooh! Or the Bayburgh shopping village! I love their burgers.”

“They have a very nice tailor in Empire City, you know,” Pearl said, putting a finger to her chin. “We could get you a suit! Do you think you’d look good in pinstripe? Or a dress! A summer dress, blue of course, with –”

“But Pea-arl!” Amethyst interrupted. “Empire City has all that fancy-schmancy food! Nothing fried or taco’ed in sight!”

“You can fry and… taco… things here, Amethyst!” Pearl put her hands on her hips. “And we pay less that way.”

“It’s not about the money, P! It’s about having other people cook it for you! Plus, tailor-made suits cost way more than burgers.”

“Tailor-made suits may cost more, but they last longer and look better than plain old mall clothes. And I cook for you all the time!”

“You don’t even like food!”

“But I like cooking! I like making food, like pie, and cookies, and –”

Pearl was cut off by a slam of thunder from outside. Instantly, rain started slamming down on the beach. It was almost eerie, how quick it had started.

Stevonnie chuckled, slightly nervous. “Uh, maybe we’ll go somewhere tomorrow, you guys. To Aqua Town for tacos, then to Empire City for suit tailoring.”

“Good idea, Stevonnie,” Garnet replied, smiling and tilting her head. “What would you like to do?”

“Board games!” Stevonnie’s eyes shone. “Citchen Calamity!”

Amethyst cartwheeled over to the games cupboard and whipped it open. The board game in question was right on top. Amethyst grabbed it and whipped it out, as the rest of the Gems crowded around the table near the cupboard. Garnet claimed the couch. Stevonnie plonked themself down on the floor to Garnet’s right. Pearl sat across from Stevonnie, folding her knees under her. Amethyst sat on the unclaimed side, the side across from Garnet, and placed the game box on the table.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played this game before,” Stevonnie mused. “It’s okay! I’ve played it lots of times! I can do this!”

Amethyst held back a chuckle. “You’ve never played it, but you’ve played it lots of times?”

“Well, Connie’s never played it before, but I… but Steven played it lots of times. We – I guess I personally have never played it, but I bet I’ll be great at it!” Stevonnie held both of their fists to their chest and stared at the board with determination.

 

 

The game was punctuated with breaks as rain started to leak through holes in the roof. Especially the one hole busted by one of Peridot’s robonoids – which Garnet had patched up a while ago. Buckets were scattered around the room, collecting the falling rainwater. Pearl stared at the board and picked up the card. “‘Freezer burn’?” she read out, reaching for the instructions.

“Ooh hoo! You’ve got a freezer burn card?” Stevonnie pumped their fist. “Looks like you lose all your fish sticks!”

“What?” Pearl groaned, picking up a stack of cards in front of her. “I needed those for my bachelor meal combo. Now I can't ring the dinner bell.” She sighed and brought the rule list up to her face to read. “These rules make no sense!”

“The game of "Citchen Calamity" may be played for fun, but–” Stevonnie gestured with their arms– “the hunger is real!” They lowered their arms. “Wow. That was dramatic.”

Amethyst snorted, then started laughing. “Tough break, Pearl. My turn!” Amethyst drew a card. “The sponge in your sink is covered in mould.” She glanced up at Stevonnie. “But I can still eat it, right?”

“No, no!” Stevonnie giggled. “That means you lose two turns!”

Amethyst dropped the card in front of her. “That’s baloney!”

“You have a baloney card?” Pearl asked, looking up from the rules.

“Garnet’s turn!” Stevonnie interrupted.

Garnet took a card. “I'm now the owner of the Golden Can Opener.” Garnet paused, then grinned. “Yesssss.”

“Now you can check your soups for the alphabet bonus!” Stevonnie exclaimed. “Woo, go Garnet! That’s good, right? Yeah, it’s a bonus!”

“Who wrote this game?” Pearl asked in an exasperated tone.

“Never mind that, it’s my turn!” Stevonnie took a card and gasped. “I’ve gotta roll the dice to escape the egg-quake!” Stevonnie took the two dice and put them into the little fake blender on top of the board - the dice roller. “C’mon, baby needs a new skillet…” The dice popped out and rolled a little way. They landed with two face up eggs.

“Yeah!” Stevonnie cheered. “Double sunnies!” They grabbed their game piece and moved it to the end. “I did it! I win! Yeah! This Citchen Calamity has been cleaned up! Woohoo!” Stevonnie stood and started to dance.

“I don’t get it,” Amethyst said, staring confusedly at the board, “but, nice job.” She started to clap.

“Yes, well done.” Pearl joined in. “That was very, very… complicated.”

“Nice job. You two work well together.” Garnet smiled and pushed her glasses up.

Stevonnie stopped dancing and blushed. “Thanks, guys. So, what should we play next? We’re gonna play another one? Well sure, it’s still raining. Oh. Good point.”

“There are more?” Pearl asked, beginning to pack up the game.

“Oh sure.” Stevonnie walked over to the games closet. They started to shuffle through the games. “I got Polypoly, Toppler, Conquerors of Eldermore, Not That Sorry, Don't Wake Father Figure, and Non-Invasive Operation. I think that one's missing a couple organs. I also have Checkers, if you want to take tur–” An object tumbled out of the cupboard. It looked like a statue. “Huh?” Stevonnie picked the object up.

“Oh no,” they heard Pearl mumble. Stevonnie studied the small figurine. At a closer look, the statue was of a woman holding a blue diamond. The woman had venice-blue hair and blue-grey skin. The base of the statue curved into a point, much like the diamond in her hands.

“Oh. The Sea Spire Statue…” Stevonnie stared at it. “What… is it? A long time ago, I… Steven? I left it behind on a mission and we lost an important gem building.” Stevonnie looked up at the Gems. “Steven is sorry he forgot it that time!”

“Oh, Stevonnie, it’s okay.” Pearl was quick to comfort them.

“I-If I had just remembered to pack it, then maybe the Sea Spire would still be around.” Stevonnie’s fist’s tightened around the statue. “Now it’s gone forever, because of me.”

Garnet put her hand on Stevonnie’s shoulder. “Steven did his best on that mission, and that's what counts.”

“But the Sea Spire. It was a special, important, Gem... place!” Stevonnie trembled a little.

“Oh, Stevonnie, no, no, no.” Pearl walked towards them. “If the Spire had been crucial, we wouldn't have used it as a test for you. Him. It's fine, really.”

Stevonnie started to smile, but then stopped. “Test? What do you mean?”

Pearl’s smile dropped. “Uh… well it wasn't really a "test", per se. Not in the traditional sense. We just wanted to see if you were ready to go on missions.”

“Pearl, that’s a test,” Stevonnie muttered.

Pearl groaned.

“Stevonnie, it wasn't something we planned behind Steven’s back.” Garnet seemed to be glaring at Pearl. “We just saw an opportunity and –”

Stevonnie gasped. “And I failed it. I failed the test. No, you didn’t fail! Yes, I did! I had one goal and I was too caught up in impressing the Gems and I left it behind and the Sea Spire... the Sea Spire...” A white butterfly flew in through the window as Stevonnie planted their face in their hands.

“You didn’t fail!” Amethyst quickly jumped in. “You got at least a 50%.”

“Oh, and you had that raft so we didn't have to swim home!” Pearl smiled widely at Stevonnie, who was shaking even more than before. “That's a solid 75, not failing at all! Besides, that Spire was in much worse shape than we thought. It should have been even easier.”

Stevonnie looked at Pearl through their fingers. “I failed an easy test?”

“Nice one,” Amethyst grumbled, glaring over at Pearl.

Stevonnie started to glow pink. Their voice split into two – Connie’s and Steven’s. “No, Steven, keep it together! Connie, I – I can’t! I failed that test! I’m not a Crystal Gem! Yes, you are! We are! Steven, if you really want to–” Stevonnie stopped glowing and calmed down. “I need another test!”

“What?” Pearl said. “No, you don’t–”

“Another test! A hard one!” Stevonnie was grinning ear to ear.

“But Stevonnie, Steven’s come so far!” Pearl protested.

“But I’m not Steven!” Stevonnie replied, getting excited. “Let me prove I’m a Crystal Gem! Test me! Test me!”

Pearl and Amethyst both looked back at Garnet, who pushed her visor up thoughtfully.

“Alright, Stevonnie.” Pearl led the fusion towards the Temple Gate. “We've adjusted the metaphysical properties of the temple to create a customized dungeon for you.” Pearl began to project a hologram of what they’d created. “Now, just beyond here are three chambers designed by each of us to simulate the challenges of a mission. Should you succeed, you will unlock the final door, where we will be waiting for you.” The hologram dissipated.

“Alright!” Stevonnie stepped onto the warp, ready to walk through the door. “That's more like it!

“Stevonnie, this won't be easy,” Garnet said. “Be careful in there.”

“Right. I won't let you down this time.”

“That's the spirit!” Pearl smiled and made a fist. “You can do it!”

“Yeaaah!” Amethyst slapped Stevonnie on the back. “Get amped, Stevonnie!”

“I’m ready.” Stevonnie took a step towards the door.

Pearl, Amethyst and Garnet all activated their gems. The four lights on the temple door – white, purple, red, blue – lit up and the door opened. Stevonnie determinedly marched through the door.

The last thing they heard as the doors closed was Amethyst’s voice, “Good luck! You're gonna need it!”

The first thing Stevonnie saw was a flash of light. Torches lining the walls of the chamber lit up their surrounds in a golden flickering glow. They walked forward, along a stone ramp. The door was built into the ramp.

“Whoa.” They had nothing to say except this. Ropes resembling Amethyst’s whip dangled from the ceiling. “Did… Amethyst make this?” They turned around and chuckled, noticing the giant Amethyst statue. She had her mouth open and stuck her tongue out. The stone ramp they stood on was the tongue. “Definitely Amethyst.”

A rumbling noise sounded from behind Stevonnie. Stevonnie looked for the source of the noise. They didn’t have to look for long –  a massive boulder surfaced inside Amethyst’s mouth. It began to roll down the ramp, towards them.

“Ah!” Stevonnie turned tail and ran. They gasped when they saw a massive gap between the end of the tongue and the door - the end of this chamber.

There was a rope that hung over the gap. Stevonnie could hear the boulder right behind them. Their legs tensed and they leapt, grabbing the rope and swinging over the gap. They landed on the edge of the ledge, on their toes. They wobbled a bit, arms flailing as they tried to keep their balance. They managed to keep themself from toppling over the edge, into the abyss. They heard the boulder go off the edge behind them. They sucked in a deep breath and steadied themself.

“Wait, I can float, can’t I?” Stevonnie started laughing. “Oh man, I forgot about that! I could have just jumped over the boulder, huh? Oh, well, I’m safe anyway.”

They moved towards the yellow door. “How do I…” They touched their hand to the door. It swelled up, as if it was going to explode. Yellow points stuck out from the door. “What the –” Stevonnie took a step back, making sure their feet stayed on the little ledge. “What’s happening!”

They shut their eyes, scared. They heard something that sounded like a party favour, and opened their eyes. They felt confetti shower over their face. Star-shaped balloons floated up from where the door was. “Oh!” Stevonnie giggled, brushing the confetti off their face and arms. “Okay, next room!” They marched through the door.

This room was a light blue. There was a door high up on the far wall. “How do I get up there? Do I just… float?”

As if in answer, a tile on the floor in front of Stevonnie lit up and a note rang out. Another one, not too far away, did the same. Then two others, closer to the door, lit up.

“Oh! A music puzzle, right?” Stevonnie jumped to the first tile. “Must be Pearl’s room. Only she would make me think. Uh, what was the next one?” They jumped over to what they thought was the next one. It lit up white, confirming their suspicions. “Two more. They were…” Stevonnie jumped once, then stepped onto the next one with their long legs. They both lit up and played their notes. The room echoed the four notes in a sequence.

“Did that do it?” As Stevonnie spoke, the tiles in front of them levitated into a staircase. “Easy!” They started to walk up the stairs, when a whoosh behind them startled them. “What –” They stopped and turned, only to see a swinging blade narrowly miss their face. “Not easy! Not easy not easy not easy!” They ran up the stairs, hearing blades whistle past them. They must have timed their steps right, though, as they reached the door unscathed. They touched the door and it burst into balloons, just as before. “Damn. That was close. And… weirdly lucky. Like, I was running with my eyes closed and none of the axes hit me.”

They shrugged and turned around. “All right, let’s see what we’ve got.”

This room was illuminated in a harsh red glow. It contrasted the gentle blue or rough purple of the previous two rooms. Lava surrounded the path, and fire shot up from fissures in the ground.

“Looks like Garnet –” Stevonnie snorted and sniggered – “turned up the heat.” Their face became serious. “That was terrible. Sorry. Okay, the final challenge! Woo!”

Stevonnie stepped in front of the first crack in the ground. Fire shot up, right in front of their face, so close they could feel the heat radiating off it. Then it died down, and they jumped over the crack. They repeated this until they reached the end of the rows of fire.

“Yeah! We did it! I did it!” Stevonnie danced around, moving slowly towards the door. “I’m a Crystal Gem! I –” Too fast for them to react, a pillar with spikes on it slammed down, heading straight for them. Stevonnie screamed and curled into a ball. It took almost a full minute for them to reopen their eyes. When they did, they saw something that made their blood run cold.

The spiked pillar – it had stopped above them. They slowly stood up, and the pillar moved with them. They moved out from under the pillar. It came down again, but this time it slammed down on the ground.

“No,” Stevonnie whispered, taking a step backwards. “No, no, no.” They spoke louder. They started walking backwards. A white butterfly twirled above them, although they didn’t notice. One of their feet hit the edge of a fissure and they tumbled backwards. Fire flew out of the fissures. They should have been burned alive – but the fire passed around them, not touching them. “It can’t be true, it can’t be!”

The door at the other end of Garnet’s chamber opened, and Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet walked through it. “That’s right, Stevonnie!” Pearl enthused, clapping her hands. “We know you aren’t ready to do missions, so we’re toying with you. Protecting your feelings.”

Tears welled in Stevonnie’s eyes. “No, I –”

“Your feelings need to be protected!” Amethyst added. “After all, you aren’t strong enough to control your own emotions, let alone your powers!”

“I just need practice –”

“It was just luck that you fused.” An evil smile adorned Garnet’s face. “It was just luck that you managed to use any of your powers. You won’t be able to help us in battle. You’ll just get in our way. You two shouldn’t even be fused!”

“Yes we should, we – wait.” Stevonnie stopped and looked at Garnet. “You… You’re accepting of us, of me. You know what it’s like to be like this! You said so yourself!” Stevonnie stood up. “I don’t know what you are, but you aren’t the real Garnet. None of you are real.”

Garnet smiled. “We’re as real as you make us.”

Stevonnie’s nostrils flared. “Then leave.”

The three gems dissolved in white flashes. Stevonnie blinked, and everything was normal. The door was closed. Fire still enveloped them. They stood up and took a breath, before turning and leaving Garnet’s chamber.

“Is Pearl’s chamber fake too?” they wondered, more curious than hurt. Indeed, the swinging blades phased right through them. And the tiles had, in fact, no pattern to them – any combination of four, even all four of one, raised the stairs.

“And Amethyst’s?” Stevonnie’s voice cracked. They walked over the chasm they had so hastily jumped over before, and walked into the path of the boulder. It stopped right in front of them.

“Of course it is!” Stevonnie marched up the ramp, the boulder moving backwards as they did. They reached Amethyst’s mouth and entered it, coming out the top of Amethyst’s chamber.

“I... can't believe it. Ugggh.” Stevonnie walked along the top of the chambers. “‘It won't be easy?' 'Good luck, you're gonna need it!' How am I supposed to prove myself if you guys keep...” They noticed the three gems standing at the end of the track, and knelt down to hear them better.

“What's taking them so long?” Amethyst asked. Stevonnie shuddered, remembering the words Illusion-Amethyst had spoken not so long ago.

“I didn't think mine was very difficult.” Pearl put a hand on her chin. “Do you think they got hurt?”

“There's no way. It's impossible for them to fail.” Garnet put a hand up to her visor.

Amethyst groaned. “What’s the point of this then?”

“The point is that he's come so far.” Pearl was talking about Steven now. “He can make Rose's bubble! And he's pulled out Rose's shield twice. He’s part of a fusion, for goodness’ sake. But he lost his healing powers last time his confidence dropped. We have to give him another ‘success’. We have to give them a success. They’re one of us now!”

 

There was a pregnant pause. Then Amethyst spoke again. “…We’re bad at this.”

“What?” Pearl sounded ready to fight Amethyst on this point.

“Yeah. You can't control them, and they shouldn't be taking advice from me, and we don't have Rose to tell us what to do!” Amethyst threw her arms up into the air.

“But they need us to show them how to be a Gem!”

“Stevonnie is not just a Gem,” Garnet interjected. “Steven isn’t just a gem. There was never anything or anyone like Steven, let alone Stevonnie. We don't know what they need.”

Stevonnie stood and turned around. “They were… just trying to help me,” they said as they marched. “They’re as confused and as lost as me. They don’t know what they’re doing, any more than I do.”

Stevonnie re-entered the dungeon, staring straight ahead. “Sure, I need a confidence boost, but so do they.” Stevonnie walked straight over Amethyst’s chasm. Straight through the music puzzle, straight past the swinging blades. Straight over the fiery fissures, and straight under the dropping spikes. They pushed open the final door.

The Crystal Gems were applauding. “Congratulations!” exclaimed Garnet.

“Congratulations, Stevonnie!” Pearl agreed.

“Yeah, congrats!” Amethyst cheered. “Whoop, whoop!”

Amethyst kept ‘whooping as Stevonnie marched up to the Gems. Amethyst’s cheers slowed as they reached the three gems, head down.

“Thank goodness you made it!” Pearl seemed nervous. “How did it... go?”

Stevonnie fell to their hands and knees. “I… can’t believe you guys. That was… so…” It sounded like they were crying. But then they leapt to their feet, smiling. They were crying, but with happiness, it seemed. “…insane!”

The Gems shared a look of relief.

“Where do I begin?” Stevonnie gushed. “I wish you’d seen me. I totally forgot I could float, and the boulder was coming right at me. I just jumped at that rope and swung when I could have just floated over the boulder or something!

Amethyst seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“And then those tiles? I nearly forgot what to do!” Pearl froze. “I was like ‘oh man, I don’t remember which one it was!' So I guessed and I must have guessed correctly because the stairs came up. And I was like ‘That was easy!’ but then those blades came down and I just ran for it. One of them almost hit me!”

A bead of sweat rolled down Pearl’s forehead. “That was… lucky.”

“I know! And then… Then I thought there's no way I could have been ready for all that fire and lava and spikes but I did it!”

Garnet grinned.

“I really... did it.” Stevonnie was breathless from all their talking. “I... You guys are the best. Thank you so much for doing this for me. This was just what I needed.”

“Oh, Stevonnie.” Pearl smiled.

“Aw, shucks.” Amethyst blushed.

Garnet put a hand on Stevonnie’s shoulder. “We’re proud of you.”

Stevonnie half-smiled and blushed. “Thanks, Garnet.”

“It’s official now!” Pearl sing-songed. “You’re a Crystal Gem! I’m so proud of you.” She wrapped her arms around Stevonnie.

“Yeah!” Amethyst joined in, squeezing past Garnet.

Garnet hugged Stevonnie too. “I knew you could do it.”

Stevonnie looked at all three of the Gems, before returning the hugs. “Yeah. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is pretty much the layout for future chapters - rewriting episodes with Stevonnie + extra scenes, like the shopping trip and Stevonnie meeting Mr. and Dr. Maheswaran next chapter. ;)


	3. ALERT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tl;dr: I died, this fic is on hiatus until the 11th of October. 
> 
> If you'd like to know how exactly I died, read on. It gets a little lengthy. I probably shouldn't have shared that much about myself.
> 
> ...
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Okay. Normally I wouldn't post an author's note as a separate chapter. But I need to let everyone know a thing.

If you've read the tags, you'd notice that this fic  _should_ be updating every Thursday. But it's been, what, 2 Thursdays? And no update!

There is a reason. Two, actually.

**Reason 1, the biggest**

Final exam week.

Now, you're probably thinking. "But, author, summer's barely over! Why did you just have  _finals_?" Well, dear reader, the answer is simple.

It's currently spring.

You got it, I live in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia, in fact. It's pretty nice except for the rampant homophobia/transphobia/racism/islamophobia, the scorching summers AND winters, the conservative government, the constant threat of a drunk named Dane wearing a Bintang singlet walking around the corner and king-hitting you, Inceston (sorry, _Launceston_ ), IT'S WOOLWORTHS NOT SAFEWAY (bloody victorians) and, oh, how could I forget? The spiders. Anyway, we revolve around the same schedule as America - school starts at the end(ish) of summer and finishes at the beginning(ish) of summer later that year. However, there are 2 factors adding to the fact that my finals are now.

1\. Summer's at the other end of the year. Yeah. December 1 - February 28/29. So we finish school, actually, a week before Christmas. Nice.

2\. I'm in Year 11. My... junior year, is it? Yeah. And that only goes for 3 school terms for a reason that is bloody unknown to anybody except the Department of Education.

Anyway, on to  **Reason 2, the other one. Trigger warning: abuse, rape, TMI**

So, exams are pretty panic-attacky. I'm already dead from those. You know what I don't need? My datemate suddenly turning emotionally abusive and guilt-tripping me into situations I'm not particularly comfortable with, so much so I have to dump them.

You know what I got? That.

They were cool up until exams. Then they got super stressed due to worse anxiety than mine (impressive tbh) and I suddenly have to cater to their every whim, and if I don't? "Oh, Finn, you don't really care about me. We should break up." etc. 

Long story short, I got raped. it wasn't your "normal" scream in terror and being forced physically rape, it was me repeatedly saying no until they threatened to kill themselves if I didn't help them with "stress relief", to which I responded with "fine. make it quick".

Then, you know what they had the nerve to do?

_Ask for a second time._

Here's how the conversation went from there.

Me: Are you fucking kidding me? No.

Them: Oh, I knew it. You really don't care about me, do you? We should break up.

Me, bitterly: Yeah, we should.

They then proceeded to apologise, "I didn't mean to", etc., but the damage was done. I got up, said bye to their mother who just got home, and left. Haven't spoken to them since.

So, yeah. Just a little traumatised and scarred for life and still recovering from that. Here Comes A Thought helps with that heaps, though.

Ahem. **So,** **when's the next update?**

My exams are over and I dumped my shitty shit of a datemate. Yay! More updates! Right?

Wrong.

Because exams are an anxiety-inducing cesspit of death, I need a week to recover. That would be this week.

So, next week then?

No.

Next week, I'm working. The whole week. Full time. It's called work placement, and it's mandatory for my hospitality course. And, of course, it's 12-8pm, and I wake up at 10am.

So, two weeks? Not long!

Again. No.

The week after next is school holidays for two weeks. And guess where I'm going for the whole time?

If you said "the middle of fucking nowhere", congrats! You got it!

Now, The Middle Of Fucking Nowhere™ isn't so bad. I get pretty much run of the place because my grandfather sleeps like a koala (20 hours a day, only waking up to eat). (Exaggeration: my grandfather sleeps slightly less than a koala and does more than eat when he is awake. Also he has sleep apnoea.) Anyway, The Middle Of Fucking Nowhere™ has one slight drawback.

No. Internet.

So... yeah. The earliest moment I could update  _anything_ would be... the 11th of October. (When Year 12 starts.)

So, the question on everyone's minds:  _When will he update?_

Nice. There will be a chapter dump on the 11th of October. Then another 2 week pause, as I adjust to my final year of school. Then we'll be back to our regular schedule of a chapter each Thursday.

Thanks for your understanding.

Oh, and if I get hate for putting this on hiatus, I'll personally find a drunk named Dane in a Bintang singlet and sic him on you. Then I'll get him to pour huntsmen spiders on your lifeless corpse. They are hairy, massive, and terrifying. (Not deadly, though. Maybe a couple of funnel-webs as well? Funnel-web spiders - the deadliest on Earth. :D)

\- Finn


	4. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeee's back!
> 
> So, a full month and 11 days after I said I would post, I've brought you one chapter. Writer's block is a bitch, huh. (It is long though. An app I have told me it will take at least 15 minutes to read, so there's that.)
> 
> Anyway, I got my mojo back! I'm writing like hell, cuz I don't know when it will leave me again. We're back to Thursday uploads, unless I forget, which I probably will, because I have inattentive ADHD, and it's really hard for me to remember to do anything.
> 
> Anyway, here you go! :>

“Ow! Hey!”

Stevonnie lurched forward, bringing a displeased hiss from the mouth of the tailor.

“Don’t move!” the tailor repeated for what must have been the fortieth time that day.

“Well, maybe if you’d stop pricking me with the pins, I could stand still.” Stevonnie rolled their eyes.

The tailor harrumphed and stepped back. “I’m finished. I don’t need to whip up a whole new suit, I can alter something I already have. It’s less work for me, and cheaper for you.”

Pearl clapped her hands. “Stevonnie! Do you want a dress or a suit?”

“Um…” Stevonnie put a hand up to their chin. “Both?”

“Okay!” Pearl produced a wallet from her gem. “How much would it be for both a sky-blue sundress and a pinstripe suit?”

The tailor seemed unperturbed at Pearl’s summoning of the wallet. “Come with me to the register, ma’am.”

Stevonnie followed Pearl to the register. They stood awkwardly behind her as she negotiated with the tailor. Stevonnie’s eyes wandered. “Are you nervous?” they whispered. “A little. I don’t want my parents breaking us apart… They won’t. If they don’t like us, they can… No! I don’t want to cut them out of my life! I love them! Sorry! No, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. We shouldn’t be afraid. They will probably like us.”

Pearl’s cough brought them out of their thoughts. “Stevonnie, is everything all right?”

“Yeah.” Stevonnie chuckled. “Sorry.”

Pearl smiled and waved it off. “It’s okay. Now, how long is this tailoring going to take?”

“I already have a dress in approximately her size –”

“Their,” Stevonnie corrected, not focused on the conversation.

“Sorry. I already have a dress in approximately their size. Just needs some pinning and re-stitching here and there. That should take less than an hour. The suit, I will need longer. I should finish tonight, though. Will we say, eight o’clock?”

“Okay!” Pearl agreed. “That will give us enough time to appease Amethyst at Aqua City.”

“Awesome!” Stevonnie clapped their hands and together with Pearl left the store. “This is going to be so cool! Should I wear the dress or the suit when we visit them tomorrow? I think the dress needs some accessories. Oh, yeah! A wide-brimmed hat, strappy sandals… we should be able to get those at Aqua Town Mall, right? And the suit needs a top hat and a cane… A cane? Nah, you’re right, that’s silly. A top hat, though, and some cool black shoes! Yeah!” Stevonnie climbed onto Lion’s back. Pearl followed suit, getting behind Stevonnie and wrapping her arms around Stevonnie’s waist.

“Okay, Lion!” Stevonnie exclaimed, burying their fingers in Stevonnie’s mane. “To Aqua Town Mall!”

Lion roared, creating a portal in the way that he did, and leapt through it. After a few seconds, Lion roared again and the three of them popped out through the other portal. They landed right next to where Amethyst was waiting in the carpark.

“Nice entrance,” Amethyst said, standing up from where she sat on the asphalt.

“Thanks,” Stevonnie replied, smiling. Pearl slid off Lion’s back and landed next to Amethyst. Stevonnie followed suit. “Ready?”

Amethyst squealed. “Oh, man, Stevonnie, I need to help you pick out an outfit too! Some cool clothes, not for you to wear to see your parents, because that would be  _bad_  or something. But, like, something awesome!”

“That’d be great, Amethyst!” Stevonnie did a thumbs up.

Pearl scowled and grunted, displeased. Amethyst smirked and started off towards the doors.

“See you, Pearl!” Stevonnie cried. “I’ll make sure we’re back at the temple at 4.”

Pearl nodded and handed Stevonnie the wallet she held earlier. “Don’t let Amethyst eat too much,” she advised, before leaping away.

Stevonnie turned around. “Hey, Amethyst! Wait up!”

 

Amethyst threw her fourth taco into her mouth, lips smacking and tongue licking. “These are the best tacos.”

Stevonnie bit into theirs, a small bite from the end. “They are pretty good. I don’t usually eat tacos. Why not? My mom says they’re unhealthy. I had a tofu taco once. But she thinks the shells are the bad part. That’s ridiculous! She just wants to keep me safe. She is a doctor! Yeah, but… You can’t just…” Stevonnie looked at the floor and sighed.

Amethyst chewed her taco. “Are you going to eat that?”

“Go ahead.” Stevonnie handed Amethyst their taco. Amethyst shoved it down her gullet.

“Ah, so good,” Amethyst sighed in pleasure. Then she sat up in her seat and grinned. “Okay!” She rubbed her hands together. “It’s time to go shopping!”

“Yeah!” Stevonnie stood. “Let’s do it!”

 

Stevonnie and Amethyst clambered onto Lion. They were laden down with a much lighter wallet and several overstuffed plastic bags. They wore their new strappy sandals and wide-brimmed straw hat. The bags were full of new pyjamas and two new ensembles. One was a purple and black flannel and black jeans. The other was a denim jacket, black shirt with a yellow star and khaki shorts. They had also bought a baseball cap, a pair of shiny black shoes, and some sneakers.

“Good trip, Amethyst,” Stevonnie said and leant forward into Lion’s mane.

“I know! We got some great stuff for you!” Amethyst twirled her new baseball cap around her finger and blew a strawberry gum bubble. She jumped onto Lion’s back.

“To the temple!” Stevonnie urged. Lion did as Stevonnie said.

 

Lion resurfaced on the beach, just in front of the lapping waves. Amethyst rolled off into the sand. Stevonnie followed suit, giggling a little as sand tossed through their hair. They took the bags from Amethyst and ran up the stairs. “Okay, Amethyst. You can go do whatever, I’m going to go drop these clothes in Steven’s... In my room, and then get Pearl and we’ll go back to Empire City.” Stevonnie put their hand on Lion’s head, rubbing his forehead. “One more go, big guy,” they assured. They ran up the stairs, waving at Amethyst, who pulled a taco out of her shirt and walked off down the beach.

Stevonnie walked through the door just as Pearl exited her room. “Hey, Pearl!” they cried, placing the bags down on the kitchen counter. “We’re back!”

“Excellent timing, Stevonnie.” Pearl smiled. “Where’s Amethyst?”

“She walked off down the beach,” Stevonnie recalled, “eating a taco.”

“Okay.” Pearl clapped her hands together. “Good. We won’t have her interrupting us on our trip.”

The pair warped to Empire City on Lion, who looked exhausted with all the warping. Stevonnie petted Lion on the head and clambered off. “Eight o’clock! New clothes!”

It wasn’t long before Stevonnie, Pearl, and Lion were back at the temple. Stevonnie sported the new blue sundress – much like one that Connie had at her house. They also wore their sunhat and sandals they’d bought at the mall earlier that day. “You look great!” Pearl gushed. “Oh, Stevonnie, that dress is just perfect! The shoes and hat might be a little… cheap, but –”

“Oh, who cares about that junk, Pearl?” Amethyst cried, pulling a packet of cheese balls from the pantry and tipping it into her mouth. “They look awesome!”

Pearl flushed and turned to Amethyst. “Amethyst, you know that if the shoes are bad, they might hurt their feet!”

“No! They’re fine!” Stevonnie smiled. “Thanks, you guys.”

The temple door phased open and Garnet strolled out, holding something in her right hand.

“Oh! Garnet!” Stevonnie skipped over to her, grinning like they were mad.

“Hello, Stevonnie.” Garnet let a smile slip past her lips. “You look nice. Also, Connie’s phone is here.” She tossed the phone in Stevonnie’s direction, who caught it, a little confused. “You received nineteen calls over the day.”

“What?” Their eyes dropped to the phone and they flipped it open. Their face fell. “Oh, crud. Mom and Dad!”

“What is it?” Pearl asked, stepping forward and looking worried.

Stevonnie buried a hand in their hair. “It’s my parents! They’ve been calling me all day! They must be worried sick! I – I have to get home, I…”

“Stevonnie, it’s night time,” Garnet replied. “Don’t worry. First thing in the morning, we can go to the Maheswaran house and explain all this.”

Stevonnie gulped, then sighed. “Okay.”

Stevonnie lay in Steven’s bed, staring at the ceiling. “You okay? Yeah. I’m just worried about tomorrow. I am too. Well, I mean, they can’t  _force_  us to be apart. We’ll just run away. Or stay with the Gems. I… I guess, but I don’t want to leave them forever; I still love them! Yeah, I know. Hey, speaking of parents, what would your dad think of all this? I… don’t know. I mean, he’s kind of used to all this magic stuff, but I’m not sure he’d approve of this forever-fusion thing. Well, at any rate, it will be easier to tell him, because we don’t have to explain all the magic-alien stuff.”

Stevonnie rolled onto their side, curled up on Steven’s tiny bed. “I need a new bed,” Stevonnie muttered, shutting their eyes.

 

The next morning, Stevonnie twirled in their blue dress. “Will Mr. and Dr. Maheswaran prefer this dress or my suit?” they asked themself. “The suit. I like the suit.” They changed, all the while apprehensive about visiting Connie’s parents.

“Ready to go, Stevonnie?” Garnet asked, walking from the kitchen.

“I… I guess so.” Stevonnie’s mouth was dry. “Yeah.”

Lion was waiting on the beach, recovered from all the warping yesterday. Stevonnie climbed onto Lion’s back, but Garnet didn’t follow. “I’ll meet you there, Stevonnie,” she said, leaping into the distance.

“…Okay…” Stevonnie took in a deep breath. “Lion, take me home… uh, to the Maheswaran house, please.”

Lion dutifully brought Stevonnie to Connie’s parents’ house. Stevonnie stepped off his back and patted his mane. “You probably shouldn’t be here. My parents aren’t going to let me do all this magic stuff if, you know, they see a  _dangerous lion_  or something.” Stevonnie turned to the door. “Okay. Okay. You’re okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just breathe.”

They marched to the door and knocked.

The door swung open with a creak. Dr Maheswaran looked as though she hadn’t slept all night, with frizzy hair and grey bags under her eyes. She looked Stevonnie up and down, judging them in a second. She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. “Look, whatever you’re selling, I don’t want any.”

“We’re not…  _I’m_  not selling anything, doctor.” Stevonnie smiled. “I’ve got something to tell you.”

Dr Maheswaran looked over her shoulder. “Well, can it wait? You’re in a suit, so it’s probably bad news. We don’t need any bad news right now. Unless… Do you have information about her?”

“About who?” Stevonnie was taken aback for a moment. Then they composed themself. “The news concerns your daughter.”

Dr Maheswaran’s mouth dropped open, and she raised a hand to cover it. “Is she –”

“She’s fine.” Stevonnie was quick to reassure Connie’s mother. “She’s just… can I come inside? This is something both you and D… and your husband need to hear.”

Dr Maheswaran looked back into the lounge room, where her husband sat next to a phone, waiting from a call. A call from Connie, from the police, from someone. She nodded and waved them in. “Okay. Come on in.”

“Who’s this, dear?” Mr Maheswaran asked.

“This young lady says she has news about Connie,” Dr Maheswaran informed him. “She’s fine, but she needs to tell us both something.”

“Right.” Mr Maheswaran glared critically at Stevonnie. “Well?”

Stevonnie took in a deep breath.  _Should have worn the dress._ They twirled on the spot, the gem on their stomach glowing with a bright pink light, engulfing their body until…

Steven and Connie stood in the centre of the living room. Their hands intertwined; their eyes squeezed shut. The suit fell to the floor behind them.

Connie was the first to open her eyes. A sheepish grin crept its way onto her face. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”

Steven opened his eyes as well. A similar smile spread over his lips. “Hello, Dr and Mr Maheswaran.”

Both of Connie’s parents had wide eyes and gaping mouths. They looked horrified.

Dr Maheswaran seemed to be the first to snap out of it. She breezed past Steven, completely ignoring him, and wrapped Connie in a tight embrace. “Connie! I’m so glad you’re safe!”

After a moment, she stepped back, and her gaze darkened as she turned it on Steven. “You. What have you been doing to my daughter? What sort of stunt was that, sending a glowing girl in and then appearing out of nowhere? Why did you keep my daughter from me?”

“Sorry I’m late.” A new voice drifted from the doorway. It was Garnet, with a smirk on her face suggesting that she wasn’t sorry at all.

“Sorry you’re – Who are you?” Dr Maheswaran seemed confused, until something clicked within her brain. “Wait, you’re one of the boy’s caregivers, aren’t you? What is the meaning of this?”

Garnet stood beside Steven and placed a hand on his head. “Go on, show them.”

Steven nodded and extended a hand to Connie. Connie took it. They knew they had to be quick. Steven twirled and dipped Connie, his gem glowing. Connie shut her eyes and leaned in, forehead brushing against Steven’s. Their noses touched as the light engulfed their bodies, and then Stevonnie was back.

A redness spread over their cheeks. “So, um...” They turned to Dr and Mr Maheswaran, who had regained their dumbstruck facial expressions. “I’m… Stevonnie.” They extended a hand. “Nice to, uh, make your acquaintance.”

“How is this…” Mr Maheswaran turned to his wife, a hand buried in his hair. He looked to Stevonnie and Garnet in turn. “What is going on here? How is this possible?”

“It’s called fusion,” Stevonnie explained. “It’s when the physical forms of two gems merge and then become a whole new gem! Only, I’m only, what, 25% gem? Steven is a special case, because he’s half-gem, half-human. He can fuse with Connie because of his human side.”

“But… what?” Mr Maheswaran buried his face in his hands. “I’m so lost.”

“What is a “gem”?” Dr Maheswaran asked. “I mean; I assume it would be some kind of code. I know what a gemstone is, of course, but you aren’t talking about those. Are they… science experiments?”

“They’re aliens, I think.” Stevonnie looked back at Garnet, who nodded. “And no, I’m referring to gemstones. They’re magical gems from outer space. Garnet, here, is a gem.”

“My body is a projection of light from the power of my gem,” Garnet explained. “My gem is a garnet, hence my name. Because our bodies are projections of light, we can merge our lights together to make a new body. Imagine… a red torch, and a blue torch. When you shine just the red torch onto a single spot on the wall, it's red. But when you add the blue to the red light, you get purple.” Garnet chuckled at something nobody else in the room understood. “That’s something I’ll have to change. Anyway, you don’t get a reddish blue or a blueish red. You get a new colour that is like both of its parts, but at the same time, neither of them.

“Fusion works on the same principle. You take one gem’s light and add another gem’s light to it. Instead of one gem being dominant over the other, you get a completely new gem who is similar to their parts. Yet, they are still their own person.”

“But… wait.” Dr Maheswaran seemed to be following rather well. “Connie’s human. Her body is matter, not light.”

“Ah, now here we have a mystery I only partially know the answer to.” Garnet put a hand up to her visor. “You see, Steven’s mother was a gem, a Rose Quartz. But she shapeshifted a human reproductive system so she could carry him to term. She gave up her physical form to bring Steven to life, giving him her gem in the process. Having a human father, this means Steven is a half-gem, half-human. This has never been seen before, in the history of gems. He can do things full gems cannot, and I assume that fusing with humans is one of them. How, I’m not quite sure.”

Stevonnie ran a hand through their hair. “Even I’m not sure, to be quite honest.”

Dr Maheswaran nodded. “This all makes sense, or as much sense as it can make to someone who has never considered any of this to be possible. But, just one question – what does this have to do with my daughter? Why are Steven and Connie fused? For what purpose?”

Garnet placed a hand on Stevonnie’s shoulder. “Steven and Connie fused for the first time two nights ago. They love the feeling of closeness and friendship in the fusion, and do not wish to be separated.”

 _Friendship?_  Stevonnie knew it was more than that. Did no-one notice how Connie had almost kissed Steven, right before they fused? But they remained quiet, sure that Garnet had a reason for saying what she did.

“We just…” Stevonnie twisted a strand of hair in their fingers. “We want to know if you’d let Connie and Steven stay like this. We want this for each other, we do, but if you don’t like it…” Stevonnie stared at the floor. “I, uh, guess we can stop.”

“This is all… so sudden,” Mr Maheswaran remarked. “I mean, the only reason I’m believing it is because it’s happening right in front of us!”

“Connie, how long have you known about this magic?” Dr Maheswaran asked.

“Connie’s not here right now,” Garnet corrected.

“Well can I see her?” Dr Maheswaran demanded. “I know they like doing this, but I want to see my daughter.”

“That’s their choice,” Garnet said, turning her head to Stevonnie.

Stevonnie nodded. “Yeah, no, of course.” They twirled once more, glowing and leaning out of the fusion. Once more, Steven and Connie stood in front of everyone in the room.

“Connie. How long?” Dr Maheswaran repeated harshly.

“Since we first met,” she mumbled. “Steven… saved my life.”

“How? What happened?” A worried tone had crept its way into Dr Maheswaran’s voice.

“I was sitting on the beach by a cliff, reading a book,” Connie began. “And Steven was…” She giggled. “Riding his bike through the sand. And he came towards me and started talking to me, but then he fell over and ran away. Then he came back, and was introducing himself to me, when there was, like, a mini earthquake. Some rocks fell from the cliff. He… dove at me, and his gem summoned a bubble shield. The rocks didn’t touch us because they bounced off the shield, and he told me about all the magic stuff.”

“I… have a question,” Mr Maheswaran said after a moment of silence. “Connie, where are your glasses?”

“I’ll field that one,” Steven replied. “I have healing saliva, and –”

“You WHAT?” Dr Maheswaran cried. “What did you do to my daughter?”

“He was drinking a juice box, and then I had a sip of it.” Connie sent a pointed glare towards Steven. “Accidentally. I thought it was mine.”

“Y… Yeah.” Steven chuckled. “Sorry, I could have worded that better. Anyway, when Connie had a sip of my juice, she was wearing her glasses. Then she got a bad headache, and we looked down at the straw, and it was sparkling with magic sparkles.”

“Of course.” Dr Maheswaran put a hand on her forehead. “Why not?”

“Is there anything else you want to tell us?” Mr Maheswaran asked.

“Nope!” Connie exclaimed. “Do you have any more questions?”

“Where will… Stevonnie… be staying?” Dr Maheswaran asked. “I would prefer to have at least some contact with my daughter, or someone who is partly my daughter.”

“Wait… does that mean you’ll be letting us stay together?” Connie asked.

Dr and Mr Maheswaran shared a look. “I suppose… We will need to have a talk about it, but until then, yes.”

Steven and Connie whooped with joy at the same moment, and then jumped into a hug. In an instant, a fused Stevonnie stood in front of the two adults and Garnet. Then they turned to Garnet. “Yeah, Garnet, where will I be staying?”

“I think we should work something out,” Garnet said. “We must train Stevonnie's powers, but you are right, they should still spend some time here.”

Dr Maheswaran did a double take. “Wait. Stevonnie has  _powers_  now?”

“Yeah…” Stevonnie looked back at Garnet. “I don’t think we mentioned that, Garnet.”

“What are these… powers?” Mr Maheswaran asked. “Are they dangerous?”

“If left unharnessed, yes,” Garnet answered. “But the other Gems and I have similar powers. We can train Stevonnie to control their powers.”

“I have every power Steven has!” Stevonnie added. “I can float…” To prove it, they jumped up, touched the high ceiling, and then landed after a few seconds. “I can summon a shield…” They shut their eyes and attempted to summon their shield. “Sorry, I can’t always summon that. But I can summon my bubble!” They shut their eyes and, true to their word, the pink bubble bloomed around them. “And I have healing spit, too!”

“…These powers all seem to be acting in the way of defense.” Dr Maheswaran had a hand resting on her chin. “Is there any reason why Stevonnie would need to use these?”

“I cannot say.” Garnet took off her visor – revealing her three eyes, which both Dr and Mr Maheswaran stepped back at. “But I must let you know that Pearl, Amethyst and I will do everything in our power to protect Stevonnie. No harm will come to them.”

“…Then I suppose she –”

“They,” Stevonnie interrupted. “My pronouns are they, because I’m not a boy or a girl, but I’m both.”

“…Right. Then I suppose  _they_  should spend most of their time with you, should they not?” Mr Maheswaran suggested.

“That would be wise, yes,” Garnet agreed. “But it’s up to you. They are made up of your child, after all.”

“I agree.” Dr Maheswaran nodded. “I would not want any mishaps to happen with Stevonnie’s powers while they are here. So will we work on a 1:5 ratio of months? You take them for 10 months, and we can have custody for two months each year.”

“Is that enough?” Stevonnie asked. “I mean, it is up to you guys.”

“I think this will be enough,” Mr Maheswaran said. “If we find that we aren’t seeing them enough, we can re-negotiate.”

Stevonnie nodded. “Okay! That sounds awesome!”

“I’ll bring them to you next month,” Garnet replied. “That way you can get to know each other sooner rather than later.”

Dr Maheswaran nodded. “Thank you so much. Stevonnie, tell Connie that we love her.”

Stevonnie smiled. “She loves you guys too.”

Garnet waved and walked out of the living room. Stevonnie waved and followed.

Dr Maheswaran turned to her husband, and promptly collapsed on the floor. “What did we just agree to?”

“Did we just negotiate to never see our daughter again?” Mr Maheswaran sat down next to her, staring at the wall with a blank expression.

“That other one, Garnet, she just made it seem like such a good idea. I got caught up in the moment…” Dr Maheswaran appeared as though she was holding back tears.

“But dear, we must remember…” Mr Maheswaran placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“I know.” Dr Maheswaran sniffled. “It is Connie’s choice. And I’m sure Stevonnie is a lovely person.”

“Me too.” Mr Maheswaran gave a wry smile. “After all, they are – sort of – our daughter.”


End file.
